


About Fur and Trust

by Stumbling-While-Balancing (Rellanka)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Grooming, M/M, Pre-Slash, Trust, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 11:12:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13762917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rellanka/pseuds/Stumbling-While-Balancing
Summary: Keith is going to thank Sessoa. Someday.Or: Keith learns things about grooming, attraction, trust, and being a furry.That last one is mostly a joke. Mostly.





	About Fur and Trust

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spaceg0th](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=spaceg0th).



> For spaceg0th in the Galrentines exchange. So, so late. I am so, so sorry, but I hope you enjoy.

It began in the way that these things sometimes do. By someone else’s nosiness and unasked for judgment. 

In this case, it was judgment from Sessoa, a woman who had proven to Keith that no matter where you are, even if you’re in space, there will always be someone who thinks they know what choices you should make with your life better than you. 

She had just stopped criticizing his mistake in going from being a Paladin to joining the Blade, when she turned her attention to the Blade’s leader. 

“And really,” she said with a disapproving huff, “if that man is going to continue leading the Blade, he really needs to find someone to help him with his fur. It’s simply not in the state I would expect from someone in his position." 

Keith stiffened, protective anger instantly sending him on the defensive. "Kolivan has personally planned and overseen more successful missions then any commander before him. He was instrumental in the forming of the Coalition with Voltron. Not only has he always appeared professional, if his fur isn’t ‘up to standard’ in some people’s opinion, it’s because he’s worried more about keeping people alive then **the state his fur is in**.”

Keith clenched his hands to try to reign in his temper, trying to keep his voice polite. This _was_ the wife of a pretty important ally to the Blade, but he had never been good at holding back when it came to protecting the people important to him. 

And Kolivan had become very important to him.

Sessoa’s mouth fell open, revealing her three rows of sharp teeth, “Well, I’m very sure that’s true, but there was no need to be so rude- I was only expressing my concern for your commander! At his age, he really should have a mate by now.”

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. A mate? What did that have to do with-

“Keith!” Kolivan’s voice called at that moment, bringing Keith’s attention to where his commander was now waiting by the door- looking as put together and attractive as ever, _thank you very much_ -, “It’s time to go.”

Keith composed himself and said a quick, polite goodbye to Sessoa before raising his hood and joining Kolivan at the door. 

His mind, however, was still circling around mates and Kolivan’s fur.

***

He didn’t get a chance to ask Kolivan about the things Sessoa had said until a few days later, after a mission to free a colony just outside of the Coalition’s growing sphere of influence. 

When he asked, Kolivan went completely still and expressionless, and Keith immediately regretted his question. Kolivan had been uncharacteristically open before Keith had decided to bring up the issue, even smiling at a joking comment Keith had made about one of the Blade’s techs. Now, however, Kolivan was more closed off than ever, impossible to read and leaving Keith unsure as to how he should be reacting.

“Sessoa is well-intentioned but known for sticking her nose into matters they don’t belong in.” Kolivan said finally, “Disregard what she told you.”

“But,” Keith said, some part of him not wanting to let go of the topic just like that, “What is wrong with you fur that she would even notice something ‘not up to standard’ about it?”

Kolivan’s frown, if possible, deepened, “There are some grooming procedures that I neither have time for nor anyone else regularly on base to help me with. While grooming is an important part of Galra culture, it is only meant to be done amongst very close friends, family, or mates.”

“I can help you!” Keith burst out, the sudden exclamation surprising even him, “I mean, I’m probably around you more than anyone else, and- You’re probably one of the closest friends I- I may not even mean that much to you, I’m probably just a- but-“ Keith abruptly shut up, choking back the rest of the gargled words trying to break out, bowing his head and avoiding Kolivan’s eyes, “I’m sorry.” He finished, subdued and quiet.

He flinched as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, before feeling Kolivan’s hand on his shoulder.

Kolivan’s eyes were softer than Keith had ever seen them, and he froze, spellbound by the warmth in Kolivan’s gaze as he said formally, “I would be greatly honored if you chose to care for my fur.”

Keith, speechless, could only nod.

***

Easy to say, but standing in front of Kolivan, completely alone with him and facing the reality of it? That was a bit harder to swallow. Keith swallowed hard, walking further into the room and opening his mouth to say- something- when Kolivan pulled the top of his Marmora uniform off, leaving his chest (and presumably his back) bare.

Keith swallowed hard again, trying to compose himself and not show any of the attraction that raced through him at seeing Kolivan’s bare chest, the well-defined muscles showing easily through the short fur. Okay, so apparently Keith would be caring for more fur than he had been planning on. That was fine. This was all fine. Keith was going to get through this without showing even a hint of the part of him that was jumping for glee at the thought of being able to put his hands over that much of Kolivan’s body. His very attractive, very toned body, with abs that most human males would trade their right arms for. Keith was going to be fine.

 _Yeah, because I’ve ever been that lucky,_ Keith thought bitterly, picturing a steel door and trying to slam it shut on his inappropriate attraction. Kolivan was turning to Keith for help. The last thing he needed was Keith perving all over him in lieu of actually helping.

That thought helped, actually, and Keith was able to walk closer to Kolivan without feeling like he was going to jump the man and beg him to take him at any moment.

“So,” Keith asked, luckily sounding mostly normal, “How do we start this?” 

Kolivan regarded him with deep, golden eyes for a moment before turning his eyes to some supplies laid out on a side table. 

“It’s probably best to start with the basics. The small comb with the blue handle and the bottle beside it contains a solution specifically formatted for fur on the face and scalp. The large comb, the one with the green handle and the bottle beside it is a cleaning solution specifically formatted for the fur on our arms, chest and back. Just spray the solution on and comb it through.”

Keith nodded and went toward the table, hesitating as his eyes stopped on the other combs and bottles lying on the table. “What about those?” he asked.

Kolivan shifted- uncomfortably? “Those are conditioners. They are hardly necessary.” 

Keith frowned and picked up the ‘conditioning’ bottle, looking over the label. His actions were mainly useless, as while he had been learning the Galra language from Kolivan, his grasp on it was not yet nearly good enough to recognize most of the words. Still, “I’m doing this so that your fur is well taken care of. It wouldn’t be right if I skipped a step.” 

Kolivan stared at him, eyes still unreadable for several moments before finally glancing away and saying shortly. “Do as you wish.”

It was as close to acceptance as Keith was probably going to get, so he nodded and put the conditioning bottle down to pick up the – shampoo? 

Approaching Kolivan’s shirtless body, Keith’s nerves suddenly came back full force, and he was abruptly reminded of what exactly he had signed up for. Kolivan’s body hadn’t grown any less attractive in the last few minutes, and now it was time to actually carry through with... caring for it.  
Keith was fucked.

But, as he tended to do when in situations that he had promised to carry through with despite the likelihood of them not turning out well for him, Keith took a deep breath, braced himself, and carried through with it with pure determination.

Picking up the blue comb and the solution beside it, Keith approached Kolivan slowly, trying to keep his face expressionless even as he felt it heat, heart pounding in his chest, warmth pooling in his stomach as his attraction made sure to let him know it was present not going to be shoved into the box that he usually tried to keep it in anytime soon. 

Kolivan’s face _was_ unreadable, and Keith almost wished that Kolivan were the type to crack a joke at times like this, just so that Keith could have something else to focus on, even if it were annoyance. 

_But he probably wouldn’t like Kolivan as much as he did if the Galra were anyone but himself._

Placing a hand on Kolivan’s shoulders to brace himself, Keith was almost relieved at the fine, near imperceptible trembling he could feel there. Kolivan was nervous, too. 

Keith met Kolivan’s eyes for a timeless, speechless moment before Kolivan cleared his throat, “It would probably be easier for you to start on the back of my head. To get used to the process.” 

Keith nodded silently and waited patiently while Kolivan positioned himself so his back faced Keith. Reaching up with hands that were kept steady with only the fiercest of determined willpower, Keith raised his hands and hovered them over Kolivan’s braided hair. 

“May I?” He asked softly.

Kolivan let out a breath that sounded like it was punched out of him. “I should have- yes. Of course.” He finished abruptly. 

He sounded closer to embarrassment than Keith had ever heard him, and Keith’s hands were gentle as they pulled the tie from the end of the braid and started combing through his hair. He quickly became distracted by the softness of the hair, which felt like strands of silk as it slipped through his fingers. It was so soft- _so_ \- and Keith, who had always been a person who rubbed his fingers over soft materials just for the pleasure of feeling them, felt pleasure thrum his veins for more than one reason. 

Kolivan’s hair. 

He was touching Kolivan’s hair. 

He forced himself to let go and raise the solution after the braid was completely unraveled, raising the solution up to begin. “Just… tell me when to stop spraying.” He said.

Kolivan made an affirmative sound, and Keith spritzed the solution in what he hoped was an even amount around the back of Kolivan’s head and shoulders. Kolivan stopped him after a moment, and Keith raised the comb and gently ran it through Kolivan’s hair. It parted like silk to the combs tongs, the comb gliding through with ease, and Keith was mesmerized for a moment by the sensation of it. He didn’t know how long he brushed through Kolivan’s hair, the movements lulling him into a peaceful, almost meditative state, before Kolivan made an almost amused sound. 

“I think you can move on, now.” He said, sounding relaxed and almost teasing. Keith noticed that Kolivan’s own body was more relaxed now, and a not-so-small part of Keith was glad for it. Kolivan usually carried so much stress on his shoulders, so much hardship and pain and suffering… It made Keith happy to take a bit of that away, even if just for a moment. Smiling privately to himself, Keith pulled the comb from Kolivan’s hair and automatically directed it to his ears, only to frown when it caused Kolivan to stiffen once more.

“That’s- I am perfectly capable of upkeep of the fur there, myself. Please disregard them.” Kolivan said, reaching back to pointedly pull his hair forward and bare his neck.

Keith felt both like he’d just made a social faux pas that he didn’t know of, and also like he was missing something important, something in the way that Kolivan held himself. Still, “But I-“ he began, wondering if this was another thing that Kolivan was merely too embarrassed to ask for.

“Please.” Kolivan said simply, and Keith nodded and spritzed Kolivan’s neck lightly with the solution.

It was a bit like a waterless shampoo, Keith noticed, only a version that did contain liquid and which seemed to do a better job at cleaning than even a soap and water mixture would. The liquid evaporated and seemingly destroyed any oil or debris that had managed to find purchase in Kolivan’s hair and fur with it.

Kolivan again indicated that Keith should stop, and Keith had nothing to distract himself with anymore. 

Keith took a quick, silent breath, before lowering the comb to Kolivan’s neck. 

This was… more intimate than Kolivan’s hair, made more so by all the times that Keith had snuck glances at that neck, had admired the graceful curve of it. He could feel the fur as it slid past the comb and his fingers, and it was like velvet, warm and oh-so-soft. Keith wanted so very badly to set down the comb, to instead take his hand and bury his fingers in the softness, wanted to caress the neck below the fur. 

He forced himself to continue brushing it at a steady rate, and it was with a mixture of relief and regret that he finished brushing the last few bits of fur on the back of the neck. 

Keith gave himself a break to compose himself as he fetched the other comb and mixture set, and then asked softly if Kolivan was ready. At Kolivan’s nod, Keith began combing again.

It was… both better and worse than Kolivan’s neck had been. It was not in what most people would typically think of as an intimate place, but as Keith combed down his back, Keith thought most people were idiots. Not only was Kolivan’s back just as beautiful as the rest of him, well-muscled and firm underneath the fur, the fur itself even thicker and somehow softer than what it was on his neck, but… 

This was Kolivan. 

Leader of a spy organization. 

A man who had survived countless assassination attempts from an Empire that wanted him dead. 

A man who was constantly wary and suspicious of his surroundings at almost all times.

Kolivan, who was trust Keith entirely at his back. 

Something in Keith twisted at that, stronger even than the attraction that had been burning in his stomach since this all began.

Kolivan trusted him.

That… that meant a lot. 

Keith’s emotions jumped inside him in a happy dance while he dazedly combed through the fur on Kolivan’s back, his hand still moving gently, almost worshipfully in its motions. Keith was- he didn’t fully know how he felt, but he hoped that Kolivan could tell how much his gesture meant to him. 

Keith noticed that he was done with Kolivan’s back almost like he was in a dream, and his regret at no longer having an excuse to touch Kolivan hit him stronger, this time.

But then he realized that it was time to move to Kolivan’s front, and nervousness hit Keith like a familiar sledgehammer. 

That… what was that going to be like, **now?**

Kolivan himself interrupted Keith’s thoughts, and Keith took a quick step back as Kolivan rearranged himself to face Keith, pushing his hair behind his shoulders as he moved. Kolivan’s face was, if possible, even more unreadable than it had been when Keith entered. The only difference in Kolivan were his eyes, burning fiercely with some strong emotion, the usual placid yellow now so bright it was striking in its fierce glow. Even as nerves rose in Keith’s stomach, something in him responded to that glow, drawing him closer to Kolivan, wanting-

Kolivan abruptly cleared his throat and closed his eyes. “You’ve done an excellent job so far, Keith, but I believe that is enough for tonight.”

Keith’s heart sunk. So he had done something wrong, had made a mess of things- _like he always did_ \- he’d- “Kolivan, I’m sorry-“

But Kolivan cut him off again- he’d been doing that a lot lately, hadn’t he? Was he afraid of what Keith might say?- saying firmly, “I meant it when I said you’d done an excellent job so far. But this is something I need to get used to again, and even you doing a superb job at it isn’t going to change that.” Kolivan opened his eyes again, the color much closer to its usual shade of yellow-gold, “Thank you, Keith. The care you’ve shown to me shall carry me far.”

It sounded like final, like the end of a ritual, and Keith forcibly kept himself silent. His emotions were twisting so much, he wasn’t sure how his words would come out. He turned and walked out of the room, pausing in the doorway only long enough to hear Kolivan call softly, “I am free tomorrow night, if you don’t mind to continue then.”

Keith’s hand clenched for a moment, hope and fear of failing again- for a part of him believed he had, no matter what Kolivan said- raising within him. 

“Of course.” He said.

And left the room.

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I am so, so sorry to my gift-ee for the lateness of this gift. I probably should have considered that it is now tax season and as such, I am currently extremely busy with my second job before signing up for this exchange. Still, I am so very sorry, from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> Second of all, does this appear incomplete? Of course it does. There are about 3-4k more words of this that I wanted to/need to write, but RL made it so that I haven’t had the opportunity to yet. ‘Yet’ being the key word. I promise, from the bottom of my heart, that this will have a second part with Keith continuing to groom Kolivan, Kolivan grooming Keith and them getting together soon. I just have to find the time! If it doesn’t come out within the next few weeks, find someone to shank me. 
> 
> Thirdly, Keith, boy, you have no idea how (un)lucky you are. Kolivan was holding onto his restraint with a thin thread and was 1 second away from jumping you the entire time you were grooming him. Be (un)happy that you managed to escape before he did.


End file.
